Interfaces and interface conditions

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This volume features articles that explore the relationship between linguistic and conceptual knowledge, focusing on the prerequisites necessary for transforming linguistic information into conceptual representations. Following Chomsky’s Minimalist model, the language system is integrated into performative systems, which encompass cognitive competence, articulation and perception (A/P), and the conceptual-intentional system (C/I). Each performative system receives well-formed representations as input during linguistic structure formation. The articles demonstrate how interface conditions shape linguistic representations across the language system, imposing requirements on the ordering of linguistic elements. Syntactic transformations lead to a divergence in representational levels, providing instructions for both A/P and C/I systems. Linearization occurs at the syntactic surface of a sentence, manifesting at the derivational point of Spell-out and the phonological form (PF) level. This indicates that linearization pertains to the phonetic aspects of expressions while the interpretation relies on hierarchical structures. At the Logical Form (LF) level, operations are applied that do not affect the linear order in overt syntax but influence the generation of hierarchical structures. The resulting LF structure serves as the representational format for a sentence's semantic form.